From 2 p.m. on April 30 until 8 a.m. on May 2, I had roughly 26 waking hours to tackle Mackinac Island Tourism’s list of “What’s New” for 2026. It was an ambitious assignment during my media visit for the island’s May 1 opening-day festivities. While I didn’t manage to check off every item, I covered plenty of ground — and discovered that some stops deserved far more than a quick visit.
My home base for the first night was Chippewa Hotel, where I checked three items off the list. I stayed in a remodeled guest room, browsed the expanded Pink Pony gift shop, and enjoyed dinner, drinks, and live music at the iconic Pink Pony restaurant and bar. Between the opening-eve happy hour and dinner with local business owners and the ribbon-cutting ceremony the next morning, it was an easy introduction to the season ahead.
Next came a tour of Harbour View Inn with Sam Barnwell, president of The Cotton Collection hospitality group, which owns the inn. A major renovation has transformed guest rooms, suites, and gardens across the property’s four historic buildings. Workers were still adding final touches — planting trees, leveling ground, and screwing in light bulbs — but the results and the views were impressive. I also got a glimpse of the new Pedals Harbour Grille, which wasn’t yet open but looked poised to become a popular gathering spot.
From there, Sam took me on a bottom-to-top tour (we entered through a ground-level door near the kitchen) of the Hotel Iroquois. His family, the McIntires, had owned the property since 1954 before The Cotton Collection purchased it in 2020. The hotel, built as a private Victorian home in 1902, wasn’t open yet, and April 30 was very chilly, so I was not able to enjoy waterfront dining and a signature old fashioned at the Carriage House restaurant.
I spent the second night at Mission Point Resort, the sprawling Adirondack-style property on the island’s quieter sunrise side. Set on 18 acres, the resort offers everything from dining (in six restaurants and eateries) and spa services to family activities and event spaces. My mission there was to try Round Island Kitchen’s new American Coney Island skillet, a hearty dish that satisfies your hunger and homesickness for the Motor City. Another highlight was meeting American Coney Island owner Grace Keros and catching up with Mission Point co-owner Liz Ware. The next morning, a sunrise walk across the grounds reminded me why that corner of the island remains one of its most peaceful.
One experience I regrettably missed was Island House Hotel’s new afternoon tea service, which debuted later in May. Fortunately, I was still able to dine at the hotel’s 1852 Grill Room, where harbor views, live piano music, and friendly and polished service elevated an exceptional meal. The menu balances classic steakhouse favorites with creative seasonal touches, making it one of the island’s standout dining destinations.
A behind-the-scenes look at Grand Hotel’s latest renovations revealed 20 refreshed guest rooms and five signature suites, an expanded retail corridor, and a dedicated exhibit space for Somewhere in Time memorabilia.
And what’s a visit without sweets? I tried Ryba’s Fudge (which has a new fudge-making experience this year) and visited Mackinac Island Cookie Co. in the Arnold ferry terminal, where giant cookies and social media stardom have made co-owner Kate Conlon a local celebrity with followers as far away as New Zealand. It turns out that everyone wants to learn about life on an island without cars.
By the end of my whirlwind visit, one thing was clear: Two days isn’t enough. I’m going to make a point of returning in July for their Fourth of July festivities, the ongoing America250 programming at Fort Mackinac and Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, and to see Hotel Iroqouis’ new luxury boat private excursions, the Hinckley Picnic Launch 3, are all about.
For more information on the island’s events, activities, and ever-evolving hospitality scene visit mackinacisland.org.
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